Palace wants Pagasa to explain release of waters

Malacañang on Friday said the government would ask the Pagasa weather bureau to explain the releases of water from dams that caused widespread flooding in Central Luzon.

President Benigno Aquino III’s spokesperson Edwin Lacierda named Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul, who supervises Pagasa, as one of those who would be asked to explain the flooding.

“In every storm situation there’s always a post-assessment [period]. We assess what we’ve done after the storm. If there’s any correction to be made, that will certainly be considered,” Lacierda said in an afternoon news briefing in Malacañang.

“For instance, the release of water from the dams. That’s something that will be assessed also,” he said.

Lacierda said the dam operators and other concerned officials would be asked about the circumstances before water was released.

“My understanding was protocols were observed, but again let me check,” he said.

Lacierda also said the President was quite concerned about the situation and was in constant contact with concerned officials.

LGUs blamed

Lawmakers on Friday blamed local government officials in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga for their failure to evacuate their constituents despite advance warning of dam water releases.

“The LGUs (local government units), especially municipalities, cities and provinces, have all the powers, nay, responsibility, to act on the matter,” Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said in a text message.

“Precisely, the local chief executives are the chairmen of their respective Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Councils, with ample powers to do their jobs,” Fariñas said.

Isabela Rep. Georgidi Aggabao said the LGUs should have taken the initiative in forcing the evacuation of residents before the rise of the floodwaters when rescue operations would be more difficult.

“The Local Government Code has enacted partial decentralization. LGUs are therefore tasked to attend to calamities at the first instance,” Aggabao said.

Ako Bikol Rep. Rodel Batocabe said the LGUs should prepare for the worst in any calamity because their constituents were depending on them for directions.

Bulacan new to calamity

“Bulacan was caught unprepared because it has never seen a calamity of such tremendous magnitude, unlike provinces usually beset by calamities such as Albay,” Batocabe pointed out.

He said Albay had learned its lesson from Typhoon “Reming,” and Metro Manila from Tropical Storm “Ondoy.”

Fariñas, Aggabao and Batocabe said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should be seen only as providing support, with the main responsibility to be shouldered by the LGUs.

Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay said the DILG should also take responsibility by making sure that all LGUs had completed their contingency plans for any disaster.